I smiled. “Okay.” I gave him the phone and the little black notebook where Baba had scribbled¹ his Afghan friends’ numbers. He looked up the Taheris. Dialed. Brought the receiver to his ear. My heart was doing pirouettes in my chest. 我微笑:“好的。”我把电话给他，还有爸爸用来记录他那些阿富汗朋友的电话号码的本子。他找到塔赫里的号码。拨号。把听筒提到耳边。我的心脏在胸口怦怦跳。

“Jamila jan? Salaam² alaykum,” he said. He introduced himself. Paused. “Much better, thank you. It was so gracious of you to come.” He listened for a while. Nodded. “I’ll remember that, thank you. Is General Sahib home?” Pause. “Thank you.” “亲爱的雅米拉?晚上好。”他说，他表明身份。停下。“好多了，谢谢你。你去看望我，真是太谢谢了。”他听了一会儿，点点头，“我会记住的，谢谢。将军大人在家吗?”停下。“谢谢。”

His eyes flicked³ to me. I wanted to laugh for some reason. Or scream. I brought the ball of my hand to my mouth and bit on it. Baba laughed softly through his nose. 他的眼光射向我。不知何故我直想发笑，或者尖叫。我的手握成拳头，塞在嘴里，咬着它。爸爸轻轻哼笑。

“General Sahib, Salaam alaykum... Yes, much much better... Balay... You’re so kind. General Sahib, I’m calling to ask if I may pay you and Khanum Taheri a visit tomorrow morning. It’s an honorable matter... Yes... Eleven o’clock is just fine. Until then. Khoda h?fez.” “将军大人，晚上好……是的，好多了好多了……好的……你太好了。将军大人，我打电话来，是想问，明天早上我可不可以去拜访你和塔赫里太太，有件很荣誉的事情……是的……十一点刚刚好。到时见。再见。”

He hung up. We looked at each other. I burst into giggles⁴. Baba joined in. 他挂上电话。我们看着对方。我突然笑起来，爸爸也跟着加入。

BABA WET HIS HAIR and combed it back. I helped him into a clean white shirt and knotted his tie for him, noting the two inches of empty space between the collar button and Baba’s neck. I thought of all the empty spaces Baba would leave behind when he was gone, and I made myself think of something else. He wasn’t gone. Not yet. And this was a day for good thoughts. The jacket of his brown suit, the one he’d worn to my graduation, hung over him--too much of Baba had melted away to fill it anymore. I had to roll up the sleeves. I stooped and tied his shoelaces for him. 爸爸弄湿头发，将其朝后梳。我帮他穿上干净的白衬衫，替他打好领带，发现领口的纽扣和爸爸的脖子之间多出了两英寸的空间。我在想当爸爸逝去，该留下多大的虚空。我强迫自己想别的。他没逝去，还没有，今天应该想些美好的事情。他那套棕色西装的上衣，我毕业那天他穿着那件，松松垮垮挂在他身上——爸爸消瘦得太厉害了，再也不合身了。我只好把袖子卷起来。我弯腰替他绑好鞋带。

The Taheris lived in a flat, one-story house in one of the residential⁵ areas in Fremont known for housing a large number of Afghans. It had bay windows, a pitched roof, and an enclosed front porch on which I saw potted geraniums. The general’s gray van was parked in the driveway. 塔赫里一家住在一座单层的平房里面，那一带是弗里蒙特知名的阿富汗人聚居地。那房子有凸窗，斜屋顶，还有个围起的门廊，我看见上面有几株天竺葵。

I helped Baba out of the Ford⁶ and slipped back behind the wheel. He leaned in the passenger window. “Be home, I’ll call you in an hour.” 我扶爸爸下福特车，再溜回车里。他倚着副驾驶座的车窗:“回家去吧，过一个小时我打电话给你。”

“Okay, Baba,” I said. “Good luck.” “好的，爸爸。”我说，“好运。”

He smiled. 他微笑。

I drove away. In the rearview mirror, Baba was hobbling up the Taheris’ driveway for one last fatherly duty. 我驱车离开。透过观后镜，爸爸正走上塔赫里家的车道，尽最后一次为人父的责任。

I PACED THE LIVING ROOM of our apartment waiting for Baba’s call. Fifteen paces long. Ten and a half paces wide. What if the general said no? What if he hated me? I kept going to the kitchen, checking the oven clock. 我在我们住所的客厅走来走去，等待爸爸的电话。客厅长15步，宽10步半。如果将军拒绝怎么办?要是他讨厌我那又如何?我不停走进厨房，查看烤炉上的时钟。

The phone rang just before noon. It was Baba. 快到中午的时候电话响起。是爸爸。

“Well?” “怎么样?”

“The general accepted.” “将军同意了。”

I let out a burst of air. Sat down. My hands were shaking. “He did?” 我松了一口气。坐下，双手颤抖。“他同意了?”

“Yes, but Soraya jan is upstairs in her room. She wants to talk to you first.” “是的。不过亲爱的索拉雅在阁楼她的房间里面，她想先跟你谈谈。”

“Okay.” “好的。”

Baba said something to someone and there was a double click as he hung up. 爸爸对某个人说了几句话，接着传来两下按键声，他挂了电话。

“Amir?” Soraya’s voice. “Salaam.” “阿米尔?”索拉雅的声音。“你好。”

“My father said yes.” “我爸爸同意了。”

“I know,” I said. I switched hands. I was smiling. “I’m so happy I don’t know what to say.” “我知道。”我说，换手握住听筒。我在微笑。“我太高兴了，不知道说什么。”

“I’m happy too, Amir. I... can’t believe this is happening.” “我也很高兴，阿米尔。我……我无法相信这是真的。”

I laughed. “I know.” 我大笑:“我知道。”

“Listen,” she said, “I want to tell you something. Something you have to know before...” “听着，”她说,“我想告诉你一些事情。一些你必须事先知道的事情……”

“I don’t care what it is.” “我不在乎那是什么。”

“You need to know. I don’t want us to start with secrets. And I’d rather you hear it from me.” “你必须知道。我不想我们一开始就有秘密，而且我宁愿亲口告诉你。”

“If it will make you feel better, tell me. But it won’t change anything.” “如果那会让你觉得好一些，你就告诉我吧。但是它不会改变任何事情。”

There was a long pause at the other end. “When we lived in Virginia, I ran away with an Afghan man. I was eighteen at the time... rebellious⁷... stupid, and... he was into drugs... We lived together for almost a month. All the Afghans in Virginia were talking about it. 电话那端沉默了好久。“我们在弗吉尼亚生活的时候，我跟一个阿富汗人私奔了。那时我十八岁……很叛逆……愚蠢……他吸毒……我们同居了将近一个月。弗吉尼亚所有的阿富汗人议论纷纷。”

“Padar eventually found us. He showed up at the door and... made me come home. I was hysterical⁸. Yelling. Screaming. Saying I hated him... “最后爸爸找到我们。他站在门口……要我回家。我歇斯底里，哭喊，尖叫，说我恨他……”